Currently, there are two basic types of tampons used for feminine hygiene. The first type is a digital tampon which can be inserted into a woman's vagina by the user's fingers. The second type is a tampon retained in an applicator wherein the tampon is inserted into a woman's vagina via the applicator. Both types of tampons are commonly made by folding or rolling a loosely associated rectangular strip of absorbent material into a blank and then compressing the blank into a cylindrically shaped product known as a pledget. The pledget may or may not have a cover. In both types of tampons, a withdrawal string is attached to the pledget to provide a means for removing the tampon from the woman's vagina. In the applicator style tampon, the tampon is normally assembled into the applicator prior to being wrapped and packaged.
Until now, most tampons have been manufactured having a straight cylindrical profile. Representative samples of pledget tampons are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,340,874; 3,854,481 and 5,047,024. A disadvantage of a straight profile is that, in the female body, the vaginal cavity is curved, and a woman can experience discomfort when trying to insert a straight tampon into her vagina.
There are patents which teach the use of a curved applicator or stick to facilitate insertion of a straight tampon into a woman's vagina. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,224,735 and 4,755,166 are representative. However, these various types of applicators still utilize a straight tampon. U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,417 issued to Crockford, and assigned to the present assignee, is one patent which does teach a tampon having an arcuate shape which is designed to be utilized with a curved applicator. This curved tampon is formed by folding a sheet of compressed, absorbent material and has a slight curvature. However, no mention is made of forming a curved tampon, having a generally rigid, cylindrical shape, which could be used alone as a digital tampon or be utilized with an applicator. Furthermore, Crockford does not teach a curved tampon having zones of different density fibers which maintain the curvature of the tampon prior to use.
Now, a method of forming a catamenial tampon has been developed which permits the tampon to have a curvature which corresponds more closely to the curvature of a woman's vagina then a straight tampon.